There are many fears that can run through a persons mind when it comes to safety. Some might find walking around at night puts someone at greater risk, while others might say that just stepping out your front door on a daily basis leaves you susceptible to becoming a victim of a crime. Paranoia aside…..

There is one thing everyone can agree on – safety, that feeling of security, is what everyone wants for themselves and their families. The truth of the matter is, our safety can be at risk before we even step out our front door.

Burglaries are one of the top forms of crime that affects most of our nation. Over 2,000,000 burglaries are reported in America each year. And, of this 2 million, close to 30% of all burglars entered homes through unlocked and open windows/doors. Close to 70% of these burglaries are strictly home-based crimes. These are shocking statistics in our nation that have unfortunately increased over time.

But, locking our doors and windows doesn't always keep the bad guys out. So, what are some ways for us to keep our homes safe? One MSNBC affiliate reached out to the source at hand (actual burglars) for tips on home protection:

The following article gives us insider tips worth taking note of:

An MSNBC affiliate out of Atlanta recently did just that. They sent letters to 86 people who had gone to prison for burglary and asked them a variety questions about their crimes. Their answers could tell you a lot about how to protect your home from this crime. What they told reporters included the following:

Don’t advertise what you own. One burglar admitted to looking for homes that had cars with NRA bumper stickers, which would indicate that there are plenty of guns to steal there.

Burglars don’t just look in obvious places. If they feel safe, they’ll tear everything up looking for hidden valuables.

The best time to break into a house was between 12:30 and 2:30, because it’s rare for both kids or adults to be home at that time period.

Not all burglars are intimidated by security alarm signs and cameras, and many admitted to knowing how to disable alarms. Some suggested that cameras would indicate that there are valuables in the home.

As you might expect, burglars are terrified of large dog breeds.

Burglars aren’t typically killers. They don’t want to a serious confrontation with a homeowner, so any sign that someone is home is a deterrent.

When asked what precautions homeowners should take to keep their homes from being burglarized, most of the inmates gave similar answers. For instance, many of them suggested that homeowners leave some sign that someone is home, such as parking a car in the driveway or leaving a TV or radio on.

But the biggest deterrent is visibility, and that applies in more than one sense. They suggested that you keep your bushes and trees trimmed so that your home is easy to see. Homes that were isolated, either by the distance from other houses or by being obscured by big fences and vegetation were definitely easier to rob.

The bottom line is that neighborhoods, where people talk to each other and don’t feel the need to build barriers between each other, are safer. And that’s probably something that we’ve known intuitively all along.“

There's nothing like getting valid tips about home defense from the source itself! Most criminals are a lot savvier than we might think. It takes a lot of thinking and planning to get away with crimes, such as burglary. Also, some of the best bit of information these burglars provided was that burglars aren't as frightened at home alarms as they are in large breed dogs. So, having a large dog in the house might be one of the greatest forms of protection. Even if we feel our neighborhoods are extremely safe, it's never a bad thing tp prepare for the worst of possible situations to better protect ourselves.